# Chapter 5. International Keyboard - General settings

The KDE International Keyboard program (`kikbd`) allows you to select different keyboard maps for various national languages so you can easily switch between different national keyboard layouts. The program is started by clicking on the International Keyboard Layout item in the System menu; it may also be configured to start automatically every time you start the KDE Desktop. You can switch between different keyboard layouts by using a specially-defined Switch ``hotkey'' combination, or by clicking on the keyboard-indicator button that is present whenever the International Keyboard program is running.

The General Settings screen configures the keyboard maps and ``hotkeys''.

Keyboard maps:

Your personal list of national keyboard maps is shown in the box. The first entry is the default keyboard map, used by International Keyboard when it starts. When you start the International Keyboard program (or its Control Center configuration module) for the first time, the current keyboard map is copied to your personal list of keyboard maps as the default entry. (In the example screenshot above, the default keyboard is `En` - US English Language.)

Use the buttons at the right to control your keyboard map list.

- Click on the Add button to add entries to the list of keyboard maps. This opens the Add Keyboard screen which has a pull-down list of available keyboard maps, and gives information about the keyboard you select from it. Click on its OK button to add the chosen keyboard map to your personal list, or on Cancel to close the screen without changing your list.

- Click on the Delete button to remove the selected (highlighted) keyboard map from your personal list.

- Use the Up and Down buttons to select a keyboard map by moving up or down in your personal list. The selected keyboard, which is highlighted, is the ``hot'' keyboard.

- Click on the Info button to view the Keyboard Map Information screen about the selected keyboard.

If you use more then two keyboard maps, it is very helpful to check the ``Use hotlist'' box. In this case you can switch between the ``hot'' (highlighted) keyboard and the default (first) keyboard by using the Switch key(s). You can change the choice of ``hot'' keyboard in the International Keyboard pop-up menu that appears when you right-click on the keyboard-indicator button.

Switch and Alt Switch:

This section allows you to choose the ``hotkey'' combinations used by International Keyboard for the Switch and Alternate Switch keys.

The box on the left shows the key combination chosen for the Switch key .

- Pressing the Switch key combination switches the keyboard map to the the next one in your personal list of keyboard maps (or between the default and the highlighted (``hot'') map, if the ``use hotlist'' box is checked).

The box on the right shows the key chosen as the Alternate Switch key. This acts as a second shift-type key for accessing any alternate characters defined in the keyboard map.

- The ``lower-case'' alternate characters in the keyboard map for the current national keyboard are obtained if the key is typed with the Alternate Switch key held down, and the ``upper-case'' alternate characters are obtained if the key is typed with both the Alternate Switch and the Shift held down.

Both boxes have a pull-down menu allowing different choices for these special keys to be selected.

In the example screenshot above, you can switch between keyboards by pressing Right Ctrl and Right Shift keys at the same time (the selected Switch key combination), and you can obtain any alternate symbols defined for the current national keyboard by holding down the Right Alt key (the selected Alternate Switch key) while you type.

Options:

This section allows other options to be configured.

- If the ``Beep'' box is checked, the system will make an audible beep each time the keyboard map changes.

- Click on the Advanced button to open the Advanced Options screen for more options.